Japan Car Rental Documents: ID and Payment Rules at Nine Companies

Bring the driving documents for everyone who will drive, a payment method accepted for your booked vehicle class, and your reservation details. A visitor using a non-Japanese licence also needs the appropriate original permit or translation and a passport. Sky and Niconico, and first-time Orix customers, have additional identity checks. Cash payment and Japan's My Number driving licence can require further preparation.

This guide compares pickup documents and payment rules at nine companies. Domestic and overseas booking conditions can differ. For licence eligibility itself, including the documents valid for your country, use our guide to driving permits in Japan.

What to bring on the day

When needed	What to bring	What to check
Always	Every driver's driving documents	Expiry date and restrictions, such as automatic transmission only, must suit the vehicle
Always	Accepted payment card or cash	Whether the vehicle class requires a credit card
Always	Reservation number or confirmation email	Branch, pickup and return dates and times, protection and options
Where required	Additional proof of identity	Cash and other payment checks; companies such as Sky and Niconico also request it at pickup
Where applicable	My Number driving licence and a smartphone with the reader app	Needed if this is your only Japanese driving licence and the company accepts it
For a non-Japanese licence	Passport and the relevant IDP or original licence with authorised Japanese translation	Bring the complete set required for your licence and entry status
For the trip	ETC card, child seats, glasses and other necessary items	Decide what to reserve and what to bring yourself

A reservation number cannot replace a driving licence. Online payment does not remove the counter's document checks. Our airport pickup guide explains the arrival and collection process.

Payment methods at nine companies

The table below compares the Japanese domestic guidance. It is useful for understanding the differences between companies, but a visitor must also check the overseas booking conditions immediately below it. A dash means acceptance was not established from the cited guidance; it does not mean either yes or no.

Company	Debit cards	Prepaid cards	Cash	Electronic money and QR payments	Credit-card-only classes or bookings
Toyota Rent a Car	At the counter; not Web payment	At the counter; not Web payment	At the counter, subject to restrictions	QR payments not accepted	C3–C5, SP1, W3/W4, SUV3/SUV4, ZE3/ZE4 and Premium
Nippon Rent-A-Car	VISA, Mastercard or JCB branded cards	Same brands at the counter; not online credit payment	Accepted with checks	—	Premium, full-size and premium wagons, trucks from 2-ton long and certain other vehicles
Times Car Rental	—	—	At the counter for advance reservations	Electronic-money service ended in 2014	Walk-in rentals without a reservation
Orix Rent a Car	—	Transport prepaid cards treated like cash	At the counter	iD, Rakuten Edy, nanaco, WAON, QUICPay, transport IC; QR services including PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, Merpay and AEON Pay; branch exceptions	C, EC, RC, WC and EVC classes and above
Nissan Rent a Car	Not accepted	Not accepted	Accepted with checks	—	P8–P10, PH8–PHX, PS, E5, E9, RH4, WH4 and W6
JR Eki Rent-A-Car	—	—	Accepted with checks	Electronic money at some branches	—
Sky Rent a Car	Advance online payment	—	Accepted; branch restrictions apply	—	—
Niconico Rent a Car	—	—	Website or telephone bookings under domestic rules	PayPay also available for app bookings; counter methods vary by branch	IDP customers paying at the counter must use a credit card
Guts Rent a Car	—	—	Depends on branch	Depends on branch	—

For overseas bookings: Toyota's English guide says debit and prepaid cards are not accepted. Its online reservations require a credit card; its cash-payment instructions require a passport. The domestic counter policy above must not be used to assume a debit card will work through that service. Nippon's English FAQ accepts branded debit cards for eligible classes, but not prepaid cards or cards without 3-D Secure. It describes changing an online card reservation to cash at pickup, with identity or card-validity checks; the specified higher classes still require the main driver's credit card. Orix's English payment guide describes cash payment with a card-validity check or passport/residence-card identification. Niconico's IDP conditions require a credit card for counter payment.

Times' English booking website was displaying a maintenance page when checked on 1 November 2026. Confirm the payment terms of the service through which you reserve; the domestic table does not establish overseas-channel acceptance.

Orix's domestic payment page lists C/EC/RC/WC/EVC and above as credit-card-only, while its rental-process page uses D/ED/RD and above. Confirm how the rule applies to your selected class. Across the domestic services, cash is often possible for smaller cars, while larger minivans and premium models can require a credit card. Toyota may refuse cash for particular regions or models; Guts sets payment methods by branch.

Identity checks when paying cash

For cash and some other non-credit-card payments, companies generally check your licence plus either the validity of a credit card or an accepted supporting document. These are examples from the domestic rules, not a list of documents every overseas visitor must obtain.

Company	Domestic cash-payment checks
Toyota	One of: credit-card validity; My Number driving licence; or licence plus an accepted document, such as a utility receipt issued within two months, passport, or photo employee/student ID
Nippon	Credit-card validity or supporting ID, such as a utility receipt issued within two months, residence card, photo employee/student ID or My Number card
Times	Licence plus identity document; a copy is allowed for this supplementary ID. Examples include a utility receipt issued within three months, passport, photo employee/student ID or My Number card
Orix	Credit-card validity or proof of address/identity, such as utility receipt or residence record issued within two months, passport or photo employee/student ID
Nissan	Licence plus original supporting ID, not a copy: examples include a valid health-insurance eligibility certificate in your name, photo employee/student ID, passport, utility receipt issued within two months or My Number card. Non-members also receive a phone-call check
JR Eki	Credit-card validity or licence plus proof of address/identity, such as a utility receipt issued within two months, My Number card, passport or photo employee/student ID
Guts	Licence plus one of: My Number card, utility receipt issued within two months or your own credit card. Passports, employee/student IDs and residence records are not accepted for this domestic supplementary check

Some older company lists also name Japanese health-insurance cards. Do not rely on an expired document; confirm the current accepted document with the branch. For overseas Orix bookings, prepare a passport or residence card.

Sky and Niconico request identification regardless of payment method. Sky lists utility receipts or residence records issued within three months, employee/student IDs and other documents; some unattended check-in arrangements may omit this step.

For website and telephone bookings, Niconico requests one accepted document, such as a My Number card, passport, utility receipt or residence record issued within two months, photo employee/student ID, or the credit card when paying by card. It does not accept a health-insurance eligibility certificate for this check. It may verify an incoming phone call, emergency contact or employment details. Its separate visitor conditions also require a Japanese address, such as your accommodation, and a contactable phone number.

Nippon and JR Eki customers using a My Number driving licence and paying cash need supplementary identification other than that same My Number card.

Paying with someone else's card

Nippon's domestic counter guidance generally requires the renter's own card. Another person's card can be accepted with the renter's supporting ID, except for credit-card-only classes. Online credit payment requires the card of the driver who attends pickup; the English service specifies the main driver's card, not a passenger's.

For Orix online payment, the reservation holder, cardholder and renter must be the same person. If the renter and driver are different, both must attend pickup and return. Sky and Guts also require the customer's own credit card.

When payment is taken

The usual domestic arrangement is to pay the planned charge before departure, then settle extensions, fuel and other adjustments on return. Online payment follows the chosen service's own timing. Orix's English guide describes estimated charges at pickup and settlement at return, so follow your booking confirmation rather than assuming one timing applies everywhere.

Sky's Japanese website advertises a 5% basic-rate discount for advance online payment. For debit cards, funds are taken once the booking is within 13 days of departure, or immediately when booking inside that period. This is a domestic-site offer, not a confirmed discount for every overseas sales channel. Guts requires advance payment, including payment for extensions by the original contract end date.

Driving-document rules at nine companies

Documents for every driver

The following table concerns Japanese licences and the domestic check-in rules. Visitors should bring every driver's original driving documents and passports and arrange for all drivers to attend. Nippon's English service expressly requires every driver to come to pickup; a domestic rule allowing a proxy or copy is not permission to omit a visitor's original IDP or passport.

Company	Domestic licence presentation	My Number driving licence
Toyota	Every driver's licence; a representative may show an absent driver's licence at the counter	Accepted
Nippon	No rental without presenting the licence at departure; declare every driver	Accepted using the live reader-app display, not a screenshot
Times	Every driver's licence	Not accepted
Orix	First-time users need a licence and proof of address/identity	—
Nissan	Identify the drivers when reserving	—
JR Eki	Every driver's licence; an accident while an unpresented driver is driving is not covered	Accepted; display the licence information on your own smartphone
Sky	The representative's licence is required; forgetting it prevents rental	—
Niconico	Contracting customer's original; additional drivers' originals or copies under domestic rules	Accepted with My Number card and reader-app display
Guts	A copy of each additional driver's licence is also required	—

Declare everyone who will drive when booking and prepare their documents. Nippon extends the renter's protection to drivers declared at departure; undeclared drivers can fall outside cover. Toyota's agreement prohibits driving by undeclared drivers.

A My Number driving licence is Japanese licence information stored on a My Number card. If that is your only Japanese licence, bring the card and a charged smartphone with the official reader app installed. Reading it requires the four-digit PIN set when registering the licence. Times does not accept this form; bring a conventional Japanese licence if you hold one. Dashes above mean the reviewed sources did not establish acceptance.

International permits and foreign licences

The translation route below applies to licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan, with an authorised Japanese translation. It does not make every foreign licence usable with a translation. An IDP must follow the 1949 Geneva Convention and cover the vehicle category.

Company	IDP route	Foreign licence with Japanese translation	Additional conditions
Toyota	Geneva IDP and passport	Accepted for the six jurisdictions above, with passport	Drivers without a Japanese licence use the separate overseas reservation service
Nippon	Geneva-form IDP within its one-year validity and passport	Accepted for the same six jurisdictions, with passport	Entry-date evidence needed when using automated immigration gates
Times	Valid IDP and passport	Eligible licence with official translation and passport	Domestic FAQ says no rental without the passport's landing stamp/sticker
Orix	Geneva IDP and passport	Eligible licence with translation by an authorised issuer	Check the required original documents for your licence
Nissan	Original Geneva IDP and passport	Original eligible licence, Japanese translation and passport	Landing endorsement required; Self Ride Go is not available for these licences
JR Eki	Geneva-form IDP and passport	Eligible translated licence and passport	A 10-seat vehicle requires the IDP's D-category endorsement
Sky	Geneva IDP and passport	Eligible licence with translation from an authorised embassy/consulate or JAF, and passport	Copies, images and phone displays alone are not accepted
Niconico	Original IDP and original passport; some branches do not accept IDPs	Not established in the reviewed guidance	Customer must personally complete the Japanese-language contract; no interpreter or translation app. Counter payment is credit card only
Guts	Generally does not rent to IDP holders	Not established in the reviewed guidance	Confirm eligibility before making plans

Permits issued under the Paris, Washington or Vienna conventions do not replace a Geneva Convention IDP for driving in Japan. The driving period is limited to the shorter of the document's validity and one year from landing; an IDP itself is valid for one year from issue. Japan residents returning after less than three months abroad have an additional restriction on restarting that period. See our licence and IDP guide for the legal requirements beyond the rental counter.

Checks for the day before pickup

Assemble every driver's valid original documents, including required permits, translations and passports.
Confirm that your payment method works for the booked class and booking channel.
Prepare an accepted supplementary identity document where required, checking any issue-date limit.
If using a My Number driving licence, test the reader app, check the PIN and charge the phone.
Recheck the branch name, collection time and shuttle meeting point in your confirmation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a copy if I forget my licence?

Do not expect to collect the car. Nippon and Sky refuse rental when the required licence is not presented. Contact the branch as soon as you notice and discuss collecting the document or changing the reservation. Niconico and Guts have domestic rules accepting copies for additional drivers; these do not remove the contracting customer's original-document requirement or the original IDP/passport checks for visitors.

Can I rent without a credit card?

Several domestic services allow cash, including Toyota, Nippon, Times, Orix, Nissan, JR Eki, Sky and Niconico, subject to identity and vehicle-class restrictions. Overseas bookings can impose different requirements: Toyota online reservations need a credit card, and Niconico requires one for IDP customers paying at the counter. Confirm your exact booking route before relying on cash. Times' domestic walk-in rentals require a credit card, so its cash option requires an advance reservation.

How early should I arrive?

Ask the branch for an arrival time if you have additional drivers, child seats or a busy-season pickup. Nippon notes that My Number driving-licence checks can take extra time. Arriving early does not guarantee an earlier departure.